The present invention relates to a bookmark.
More particularly, the invention provides a bookmark which can be used for journals, magazines, books or any other bound collection of papers, and which could also be used for advertising purposes.
Bookmarks have been in use for centuries, and if the sole purpose is to find a page in the specific bound collection of pages, any thin flat object will serve this purpose. There is no doubt about the need for a bookmark, several are likely to be found in any average home, schoolbag, office and study hall. Various kinds of bookmarks are described in Art. Some are configured for beautyxe2x80x94small works of art pressed dried flowers held in a thin transparent holder, historical or religious symbols or figures or similar items of attractive appearance, etc.
Another approach is to provide information useful to the book readers for example mathematical formulae, language aids, important telephone numbers, and preferably offering choices to suit the needs of a variety of users.
A third approach is to form a bookmark providing some additional service, for example a line mark, mirror, book closure band, a holder for a pen or pencil, magnifying glass page holder or a light.
The following US Patents give a general picture of the state of the art.
Knight discloses a multi-purpose bookmark in U.S. Pat. No. 5,095,846, which has an inner and outer leg. Resiliently between said legs a spirally wound section on the outer leg provides the friction to keep the mark in place. Page position may be marked by lines extending through an opening in the sector connecting the legs A pen/pencil holder is included.
Miroyan in U.S. Pat. No. 5,325,811 also includes a line marker An elongated planar body having an upper terminal portion provides a surface for decorative and whimsical designs, each including a dominant design element. A finger-engaging indicator matches the dominant design and is movable along a slit for line marking. In U.S. Pat. No. 5,437,240 Miroyan proposes that the indicator piece corresponds in size and shape with the dominant design.
A one piece flexible plastic bookmark is described by Farrington in U.S. Pat. No. 5,375,884. An attachment portion such as a U clip fits over the spine and binding. A long narrow portion is for marking, A bendable thin thread section joins the two portions.
Prescott uses two interconnected bands to hold the marker member disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,462,007. Both the mounting band and the positioning band can be resiliently deformed in combination with the bands the marker member can hold the marked page to the book cover.
Bearing in mind this state of the art, it is now one of the objects of the present invention to overcome the economic difficulties in the marketing of bookmarks by formulating this item in a manner particularly suitable for advertising purposes.
The present invention relates to a bookmark for finding a desired page of a multi-page readable item, such as a book or magazine, having a plurality of pages bound along inner margins thereof, and disposed between opposed covers. The bookmark has a planar elongated section terminating at an upper curved hook-like extremity configured to extend, when the bookmark is in use, from the bound inner margins over the spine of the readable item. The inner edge of the outer leg extension is substantially parallel to the inner edge of the elongated section below the hook-like extremity and a gap of decreasing width is formed therebetween causing the bookmark to lock onto the pages it rides over.
According to one embodiment said outer leg extension carries an attention-attracting item.
In a further embodiment of the present invention there is provided a bookmark wherein said attention-attracting item is substantially planar and disposed on a plane perpendicular to said elongated section.
In a further embodiment said attention-attracting device is 3-dimensional.
In a further embodiment of the present invention there is provided a bookmark that is adapted to absorb or carry a smelling medium.
In a further embodiment of the present invention there is provided a bookmark that is adapted to carry one or more photographs.
In a further embodiment of the present invention there is provided a bookmark that is a coupon, or is adjacent to a coupon.
In a further embodiment of the present invention there is provided a bookmark that is suitable to be used as a greeting card, or is adjacent to a greeting card.
In a further embodiment of the present invention there is provided a method and an advertising and promotion device, wherein the bookmark is configured so that said attention-attracting item is a first part of an advertising message, and a second portion of said message appears on the inner section and on the elongated section. Such split advertising and promotion method could be implemented in a variety of configurations.
In a further embodiment of the present invention, there is provided a bookmark which is entirely or partially made of a suitable candy substance.
Yet further embodiments of the invention will be described hereinafter.
It will thus be realized that the bookmark of the present invention may arouse curiosity by display of its outer portion, which can be shaped and colored to represent some manufactured product such as for example a camera, watch or soft drink. On opening the journal or book for further viewing of the bookmark, a short text or visual message or a combination of both, with a possible further illustration, gives further information about the product.